Improvement in burning hydrocarbons on locomotives



" med oct. 1o, 18.71..

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mai l UNITED A STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ALONZO C. RAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURNING HVDROCARBONS N LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,720, dated October 10, 1871.v

To all whom it 'may concern:

Beit known that I, ALONZO C. RAND, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Liquid-Fuel Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication:

My invention consists in utilizing the waste heat which ordinarily passes out of the smokestack of a steam-engine and is lost by employing it to evaporate-crude petroleum or its products after distillation, and then burning the vapor thus given olf to increase the product of steam in the boiler.

In the drawing, Figure I is a perspective view of a steam-boiler with my apparatus for vaporizing and burning hydrocarbon liquids applied thereto; Fig. Il, a longitudinal section of the same, showing the arrangement of the smokeflues in the reservoir, and also the outer jacket, and the coil of pipe in the inner jacket.

A is a plain form of boiler provided with two smoke-pipes, a c', each of which latterhas a damper, b b. 'lo the pipe c is attached a reservoir, C, through which the gaseous products of combustion are conducted by the pipes or flues c c. The reservoir C has a coil of pipe, D, connected with the boiler A, and admitting steam from the boiler at the stop-cock d.. E is a pipe for conducting vapor from the reservoir C to the burners F. Attached to this pipe is a gauge, e, to indicate the pressure of vapor in the reservoir or generator C, and a level-gauge, C', of ordinary construction, is also connected with the reservoir to show at any time the amount of liquid contained in said reservoir. The burners Fconsist of a nipple, f, and a larger tube, f', surrounding the nipple. There is also a draught-plate, G, controlled in its action by the screw g. A safetyvalve is shown on the reservoir at J, a draw-off cock at I, and filling tube with screw cap at K. The door H of the lire-box or furnace L is provided with a mica window, h, for the purpose of observing the character of the iiame passing from the tube f.4 The dampers b b in the smokepipes a a are designed to be automatic in their action by connecting the two lever-arms which control them by a rod, m, which rod is controlled in turn by another rod, ml, which latter is attached to a centrally-pivoted lever, m2, which transmits the 'motion of the diaphragm M. An exterior jacket, P, to prevent radiation of heat, is shown on the reservoir C.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: The exit of the heated gases, formed by combustion in the lire-box, through the pipe a, being' stopped by closing the damper b', all the waste heat from theboiler-tlues is conducted by the pipe a through the lues c c in the reservoir C. The waste heat in its passage through the reservoir serves to vaporize the petroleum or other hydrocarbon liquid contained in C, and the vapor thus evolved passes by the pipe E to the burners F. The force of the vapor as it issues under pressure from the nipple f draws in with it into the tube j" a large amount of atmospheric air, so that whenignited at the top of the said tube the large amount of oxygen derived from the air which has mingled with the vaporcauses it to burn with a blue flame and very intense heat. rlhe character of the heat may at all times be known by examining the color of the blaze through the mica window h in the door H. If the iiame is not sufficiently blue more airmay be admitted by lowering the draughtplate G by the screw g, and if on the other hand the ame is too thin and light the opening for the admission of air at the base of the tubes ff may be closed to the required degree by screwing up the draught-plate. If no diaphragm or mercury iioat is employed to regulate the dampers b b', by noticing the indicator c the proper pressure of vapor in the reservoir may always be maintained through regulation by hand of the said dampers,

so as to direct more or less of the escaping heat through the reservoir C, according as more or less pressure of vapor is required. If, by carelessness or accident, the pressure of vapor in the generator C should become too great, its harmless escape is provided for in the safety-valve indicated at N in Fig. I. Y When for any cause an extra amount of heat is required in the reservoir` C' it is readily obtained by achnitting steam through the stop-cock d to the coil D. When the circumstances of the case are such that the vapor-supply pipe E cannot be well protected on the outside of the boiler it may be preferably conducted to the burners through one of the boiler-nues.

The advantages claimed for my device are important. By employing a large percentage of the heat which is usually lost through the smokestack to evapora-te petroleum and its products, and then burning 'the vapor thus generated i-n combination with a large amount of oxygen, a blow-pipeheat is produced which multiplies many times the original heat which Went to vaporize the hydrocarbon. Vhere Water is heated for the boiler in a somewhat similar manner only that amount of caloric is saved Which passes from the escaping heat into the water. In the case of this invention the same amount of heat contained in a gaseous form is many times increased by igniting the gas in the presence of a large percentage of oxygen. The cost of material to make the Vapor is alone to be recorded against the economy of the heat to be produced, and thelatter is so intense, being almost equal to the oxyhydrogen blow-pipe, that the percentage of gain by using this invention Will far overbalance the additional cost of material.

The special advantage of this arrangement for carrying the aboveprinciples into eifect lies, first, in its simplicity and, therefore, small cost; second, in the ease with which it maybe applied to ,ordinary boilers; and third, in the readiness with which its action may be gauged and controlled.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The hydrocarbon-rescrvoir or generator C, llaving one or more flues or smoke-passages c c, arran ged and operating for the purpose set forth.

2. The smoke-pipes ac', dampers b b', in combination with the reservoir C, arranged and' operating as set forth.

3. The burners F F, consisting of the nipples f f, and chimney-tube f f', in combination with the vapor-pipe E and reservoir C, arranged for Voperation as set forth.

4. The draughtplate G, in combination with the burners F F, for the purpose of regulating 4the amount of air admitted to the tubes f f.

nesses.

A. G. RAND, Witnesses:

J. B. GREiFENHAGEN, GEO. W. MIATT. 

